MKs, Officials, Decry Leftist Hevron Tour for Top IDF Officers

Senior officers in Israel's top security college toured Hevron - led by members of a far-left group. Officials on the right were furious

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David Lev, 12/02/12 17:09

Hevron: Cave of Patriarchs

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Senior officers in Israel's National Defense College recently toured Hevron under the auspices of far-left group “Breaking the Silence,” and were “treated” to an hours-long diatribe about how Israel and the IDF acted “immorally” in Hevron, pushing around Arabs for no good reason, making them suffer, and denying them the opportunity for a normal life.

The tour was apparently organized by senior IDF officers who teach in the school.

The tour raised the ire of MKs and officials on the right. National Union Chairman MK Ya'akov Katz (Ketzaleh) responded sharply to news of the tour, saying that “the membership of some of the senior members of the IDF in far-left organizations which are anti-the IDF and anti-Zionist is a natural extension of the attempts to keep religious soldiers from advancing in the IDF.

“The efforts by these officers whose self-hatred and hatred for their land and people fills their hearts to radicalize the IDF will not succeed,” Ketzaleh continued. “The IDF will continue to be the army of the people, full of love for the land of the Bible. It's strength will keep it going, even as its officers are far weaker.”

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said that “now all we have to is arrange for the murderer Marwan Barghouti to conduct tours in Hevron. 'Breaking the Silence' is a left-wing organization whose main mission is to embarrass and shame IDF soldiers. It's unfortunate that this group was chosen to lead senior officers, as several members of this group are know criminals who have been convicted for harassing Jews.” Bentzi Gopstein, a member of the Kiryat Arba Town Council, called the tour “shocking,” and added that “the IDF must decide if it is the Israel Defense Forces, or the Israel Defamation Force. The IDF Chief of Staff must immediately dismiss those who are responsible for this shameful act.”